Audit 397581

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: 2025-002 Schedule of Expenditure of Federal Awards Reporting Fiscal year finding initially occurred: 2025 Education Stabilization Fund #84.425 CRITERIA: Uniform Guidance §200.302 requires nonfederal entities to maintain effective internal control over federal awards. Uniform Guidance §200.510(b) requires the SEFA to be accurate and complete. Federal grant revenues and receivables should be recognized in the proper fiscal period. CONDITION: Grant receivables and related revenues associated with this Type A program were not recorded in the appropriate fiscal year, resulting in a prior period adjustment of $862,239 during the current fiscal year. Related federal expenses were incurred in a prior fiscal year and are not included in the current year SEFA. CAUSE: Insufficient internal controls over grant reporting to ensure identification and reconciliation of reimbursable federal grant expenses and receivables at fiscal year-end. EFFECT: Federal grant receivables and revenues were materially misstated in the prior year, requiring a prior period adjustment in the current year. The current year SEFA is accurately reported, and no questioned costs were identified during the current year. QUESTIONED COSTS: None RECOMMENDATION: Management should enhance its year-end grant close-out reconciliation process by requiring cumulative eligible federal expenditures to be reconciled to recorded grant receivables and revenue for each federal program. Any adjustments identified should be reviewed and approved by personnel with federal grant and accounting expertise prior to issuance of the financial statements. VIEWS OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS AND PLANNED CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1. Management’s Response & Context Redesign Schools Louisiana (RSL) acknowledges the auditor’s position regarding the period of recognition for $862,239 in federal ESSER grant revenue. RSL maintains that the timing of this revenue recognition was driven by specific administrative guidance from the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) to prevent the expiration of federal funds. While management acted in accordance with grantor instructions to secure critical resources, we recognize that GAAP (ASC 250) requires a prior-period adjustment for material misstatements regardless of grantor timing. 2. Corrective Actions Taken or Planned To ensure future compliance with GAAP and Uniform Guidance reporting requirements, RSL will implement the following: ● Enhanced Year-End Reconciliations: Management will continue to perform robust year-end reconciliation procedures for all federal grant expenditures. These procedures will specifically require cumulative eligible federal expenditures to be reconciled against recorded grant receivables and revenue for every federal program. ● Period-End Cutoff Review: RSL will refine its accrual process to ensure that revenues are recorded in the fiscal year in which the underlying expenditures are incurred, provided they meet the "available and measurable" criteria, even if grantor reimbursement authorization is pending. ● SEFA Accuracy Controls: RSL will utilize these reconciliations to ensure the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) is accurate and complete, specifically verifying that expenditures are reported in the period they were incurred. ● Technical Accounting Oversight: All grant-related year-end adjustments and reconciliations will be reviewed and approved by personnel with specific expertise in federal grant compliance and GAAP accounting to ensure proper fiscal year alignment. ● Standardized Grant Close-out: RSL will implement a formal grant close-out checklist that includes a review of "availability" and "realizability" of funds to ensure transparency and accuracy in both the financial statements and the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). Expected Completion Date: Corrective actions are expected to be fully implemented within 90 days of this response. Contact for Further Information: Dr. Megan McNamara Superintendent (225) 348-7823 MMcNamara@rsl.org